I Want Moore
by Lady Loraine
Summary: My first NCIS fic, please be forgiving. Gibbs made an assumption and now Abby may have to pay for it.
1. Chapter 1

Leroy Jethro Gibbs leaned heavily against the rear wall of the elevator as it rose to the third floor. He ran a hand down his face and sighed quietly to himself. It had been a long week and an even longer weekend. Now it was early Monday morning and he was headed back to the bullpen. He woke early this morning with a strange feeling looming over him. His gut was trying to tell him something, he just knew it. The only problem was that he didn't know what it was trying to say.

Gibbs straightened up as the elevator slowed to a stop. The doors slid open and he stepped into the bullpen. The room was quiet. He heard the faint sound of some papers rustling over one of the partitions, but it was too early for most people to be in the office yet.

He walked over to his desk. Those of his team were still empty. He glanced at his desktop and noted that there was nothing new waiting for him so he continued on to the other bank of elevators to check in with Ducky and Abby.

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Peeking into the morgue he spotted Ducky preparing tools for a morning autopsy. "Good morning, Duck."

"Good morning, Jethro," Dr. Mallard replied, not looking up until he was done.

Gibbs waited, leaning against the door frame.

When Ducky finally looked up, a surprised look donned his face. "Pardon me for saying, but you look like hell Jethro."

"Ever the face of flattery, Ducky."

"When was the last dime you slept? It appears to have been days."

Gibbs ignored this last comment. "Do you have anything new? We're stuck and the trail is getting cold."

" I wish I could be of more help. I have been over the body a dozen times. There just isn't anything more for me to look at."

Gibbs frowned, "Let me know if you think of anything else."

"As always," Ducky called to his back as he walked out.

Gibbs headed to the Forensics lab next. Abby liked to get an early start and he was looking forward to her cheerful smile first thing this morning.

The doors slid open to a silent lab. No blaring music, no tapping on a keyboard, not even the hum of machinery. Silent. _Abby must have slept in_, Gibbs thought to himself. He crossed the lab to Abby's office and jotted a quick note on a post-it and stuck it to her computer screen. "Come see me" was all it read.

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This is my first NCIS fanfic. So Reviews are always welcome! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Gibbs walked across the room to his desk from the elevators. His team was settling in at their desks now.

"Morning, Boss," Tony Dinozzo said cheerfully, handing over a cup of coffee to him.

Gibbs nodded his acknowledgement and took the cup. "Wipe the smile off your face DiNozzo. We have a lot of work to do."

DiNozzo quickly put his poker face back on.

"McGee," Gibbs barked while sitting down at his desk.

Timothy McGee jumped, "Yes, Boss?"

"Call Abby at home and get her in here."

"She's not in the lab?" Tony inquired.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow at him. "Would I tell McGee to call her at home if she was?"

"Good point. Sorry, Boss."

Ziva smirked and rolled her eyes at Tony.

A few minutes later, Gibbs looked up to see McGee holding the phone receiver in one hand and looking questioningly at the dial pad.

"What's wrong, McGee? Did you forget her number?" Gibbs questioned, already feeling irritated. The strange feeling in his gut was getting stronger.

"She's not answering, Sir. I've tried her at home and on her cell several times."

Gibbs' heart leapt for a second. _Why wouldn't she answer her phone?_ he mused to himself.

"Special Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs looked up to the balcony from where the voice came from. Director Jenny Sheppard was standing there, her arms braced against the rail. She nodded her head in the direction of her office in a silent summons.

Gibbs stood and headed for the stairs leading to the Director's office. "DiNozzo, go to Abby's and check on her," he said as he passed by.

"On it."

------

Gibbs stood quietly in Jenny's office, as was his usual. He was expecting the Spanish Inquisition on his current case for which he had no answers for her.

"Have a seat Jethro," Jenny gestured to a chair as she walked to her bar.

Gibbs was suspicious but did as she asked. He watched as she poured a bourbon and brought it to him.

"A little early to start drinking, don't you think?"

Jenny didn't answer. She just went around her desk and sat in her chair. She rested her hand on a manila folder that was lying there.

Gibbs leaned forward and sat the drink on a coaster on her desk. He rested his elbows on his knees and laced his finger together. "What's going on Jenny?" he asked quietly with a piercing gaze at his friend.

Jenny slid the manila folder across the desk toward him.

He picked up the folder without taking his eyes from her. He opened the folder and saw a single sheet of paper inside. There was handwriting on it. It read…

_Jethro, my dear friend. I hope you had a restful weekend. I ran into one of your co-workers this morning. She seems very sweet._

Gibbs read it a second time. He picked up the paper and upon touching it, he realized that it was photo paper. A feeling of dread settled over him as he slowly turned the paper over. His breath caught when he saw the picture on the other side.

"Jenny," he breathed, unable to take his eyes from the picture.

"It arrived about 20 minutes ago. I didn't open it right away," Jenny said as she watched him closely. "I'm sorry."

Gibbs was speechless for a moment, lost in his own thoughts. The next time he spoke, he was composed and all business. "I'm going to take this down to Ducky and have him analyze it. You're going to have to give the Dunkirk case to someone else, Jenny. This is my priority now."

"I wouldn't expect otherwise… That note sounded pretty personal, Jethro. Do you know who might have written it?"

"I've made a lot of enemies in my time," Gibbs said as he stood to leave. "Let me know immediately if you get anything else."

Jenny nodded solemnly.

Gibbs stopped at the door and looked back at her. "Thank you," he said quietly and left.

------

"Ziva. McGee. Gather everything from the Dunkirk case and put it on my desk. When DiNozzo gets back, meet me in autopsy," Gibbs hollered across the room as he descended the stairs.

"On it, Boss," McGee responded as he and Ziva exchanged baffled looks.

Gibbs headed straight for the elevators and down to autopsy knowing that his team would do what he said.

------

There was a still silence as Gibbs walked into Ducky's domain. "I need you to look at something for me, Ducky."

"I'm in the middle of an autopsy, Jethro," Ducky said, agitated.

"That one's already dead. This one isn't yet," Gibbs retorted matter of factly.

Ducky's head snapped up.

"You're new priority is this photo. I want you to tell me everything you can decipher from it."

Ducky pulled his latex gloves off and placed them in the bio hazard bag before reaching for the folder Gibbs was handing to him. He looked questioningly at Gibbs' stern face before opening the folder.

"Oh dear," Ducky whispered and took a step back as the picture threw him off balance. "Jethro…"

The look of incomprehension on Ducky's face moved Gibbs to action. He grabbed a lab chair and rolled it up behind Ducky. Grasping his shoulders, Gibbs pulled Ducky down onto the chair.

"Jethro…" Ducky could barely get out. "It's our Abigail."

"I know, Duck," Gibbs placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "I think she's still alive and I need you to help me find her. I need you to pull yourself together. Can I count on you?"

Gibbs' words broke through to Ducky. "Of course," he said emphatically as he pulled himself back together. He sat for a moment with his eyes closed before looking at the photo again.

He sat motionless, staring at the photo for so long that Gibbs thought he lost his concentration again. "Stay with me Duck," he said without an edge to his voice.

"I am, Jethro, I am… Look at this," he said point to the picture. "There don't appear to be any injuries on her body which would have indicated a physically attack. No blood, no scratches, nothing. Also, the way she is laying. Something just isn't quite right about it. It appears that she was posed for the picture."

"What picture?" Ziva asked as she, Tony, and McGee came into the room.

Gibbs held up a hand to stop and since them. "Go on, Ducky."

Ducky gave him a questioning look before continuing. "Well, see this light right here in the reflection of the car. That was caused by the camera. This light over here, however," Ducky pointed to the perimeter of the photo. "This one is the rising sun. The sun rose about 6:05 this morning. She was attacked approximately two and a half hours ago."

"Umm, Boss?" Tony interrupted.

"What DiNozzo?" Gibbs snapped.

"Sorry to interrupt but Abby wasn't home."

"We know."

The three exchanged glances. "Then she's here already?" McGee asked.

Gibbs snatched the photo from Ducky and held it up for them to see. "She's been abducted."

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Many thanks for the reviews. Enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

Abby slowly opened her eyes, fighting to clear the cloud that fogged her mind. The room she was in was dark with a small amount of ambient light coming from somewhere above her. As she moved her head to see where the light was coming from, her head exploded in pain and stars danced before her eyes. She gave a small cry and moved to wrap her arms around her head when she realized that she couldn't. Fighting through the pain she concentrated on her arms, trying to understand why she couldn't move them. She slowly moved her hands and felt course rope rub against the skin of her crossed wrists. She closed her eyes and moved various parts of her body, one-by-one, to determine her situation. She soon came to learn that her ankles were tied together along with another binding just above her knees. She bypassed her arms and ended by testing the strip of fabric that ran through her mouth with her teeth and tongue. It seemed to be some sort of cotton, _maybe a t-shirt_, she mused.

As the pain in her head subsided, it started to take the grogginess with it. She still couldn't think very clearly. Her analytical mind started to take over while her emotions were still numb. She tried to remember the course of events that brought her to where she is now. She remembered that it had been Monday morning. They had been working on a difficult case the previous week and through most of the weekend. Everyone was exhausted and they weren't making any progress. Gibbs finally gave in and sent everyone home for the rest of the day.

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Gibbs looked up at the sound of Tony yawning, yet again. He looked around at each of his team members. McGee sat at his desk, staring at his computer. His eyes were unfocused, his mind was obviously elsewhere. DiNozzo was leaning back in his chair with his feet propped up on his desk. He was leafing through a report to quickly to actually be reading it. Ziva sat with her chin propped on her hand. She was scrolling through something on her computer screen.

He reached for his coffee cup. The moment he picked up the weightless cup, he put it back down. It's empty. Mentally sighing, he glances at the watch on his wrist. Nearly quarter after three in the morning. Glancing around at his team again, he finally gives in.

"Go home," he says, startling everyone. "Get some rest."

He smirks as everyone hastily cleans up his or her desk. No one dares argue in case he should change his mind. He nods to each of them as they pass and bid him good night on their way to the elevator as a group. He also stood but headed for the other bank of elevators.

He rode the elevator down to the forensics lab where he saw Abby hunched over her desk. The automatic doors opened for him and Abby's music assaulted his ears. He quietly came up behind her and peered over her shoulder. She was deeply engrossed in writing on a pad. It looked like a letter. He started to step back, feeling that he was invading on something private when she jumped, startled.

"Gibbs!" she exclaimed before even turning around. "Don't you know it's not nice to sneak up on someone in the dark!" she said, turning a feigned angry expression on him.

"Who's choice was it to sit in the dark?" he arched an eyebrow at her.

She replied with a quick pout before asking, "How long have you been here?" while she placed an arm over the words she had been writing.

"Just," he said as he watched relief flood across her features. He glanced quickly at the pad under her arm, wondering what she had been writing, before continuing, "I've sent everyone home. Pack up your stuff. I'll walk you out."

A look of remorse came over Abby. "I'm sorry I don't have anything more for you Gibbs."

"It's okay, Abbs. I know you did your best and I'm thankful for what you have given me," he gave her a smile. "We'll start again on Monday morning when everyone is better rested." He reached out and placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her to the elevator.

------

She remembered staying home all day Sunday curled up on the couch, watching movies. She had gone to bed early and then woke early. She got ready for work, feeling fully rested.

_I went to my car and…that's it. I can't remember anything else._ She wracked her brain, trying to grasp what happened after going to her car. She didn't remember the drive to work or arriving at work. _Why can't I remember?!_ she screamed at herself, panic starting to set in.

A noise from somewhere nearby caught her attention and refocused her emotions. She held her breath, listening intently. She heard it again. She strained to see through the gloom.

A door bust open across the room from where she was laying. A bright light from the adjacent room blinded her while it silhouetted a man's figure.

"What do you want?" Abby's voice came out muffled from behind the gag.

The man didn't answer as he continued to walk towards her. She wriggled her way across the concrete floor but it was no use. The man quickly caught her and roughly grabbed her upper arms. She fought back in vein. He shoved her up against a wall in a sitting position and pulled the gag from her mouth so that it hung loosely around her neck.

The moment her mouth was free, Abby lunged at the an in an attempt to bite him. He was ready for her though and quickly pulled back. Abby was then blind sided as a right hook seemingly came out of no where and caught her in the jaw. She fell over with a cry, her eyes tearing and her jaw on fire. The man grabbed her arm and pulled her upright again.

"Smile," she faintly heard over the ringing in her ears and a bright white bulb flashed in her face. She cringed and pulled back from the shock of it.

She felt the man pull the gag back into place and when her vision finally returned, she saw that she was alone in the cold, dark room.

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Thank you so much for the reviews guys! Please keep them coming. Encouragement is always a good thing. :)


	4. Chapter 4

"Abducted?" Tony asked with an incredulous expression on his face. "You're not talking about aliens, right?"

Ziva stepped forward and pulled the picture from Gibbs' hand. She looked at it closely, "This was taken in the parking lot of her apartment. You can see the reflection of her building in her car."

"She's dressed for work too. So this was probably taken just this morning," McGee added. "What else do we know?"

"You're looking at it McGee."

Ziva peered closely at the picture, tilting it on an angle. She noticed the impression on the paper and flipped it over. She read the back and looked at Gibbs, "I do not believe this is good."

Tony and McGee read the inscription over her shoulder. "Whoa, Boss. Do you know who this is?" Tony inquired.

"Not yet, but I will. I need you all to be on your game. We _will_ find Abby…alive," he looked each of them in the eye. "Let's get up stairs and get to work."

He watched as the anger on each of their faces turned to determination. One of their team members was in trouble and the "all for one" mentality began to set in. Abby was more then just a team member, she was family. _We will find her. No matter the cost,_ Gibbs thought to himself.

The four of them started for the door.

"Jethro?"

"Yeah, Duck?" Gibbs turned back to his long time friend.

"You will bring Abigail home safe," he said with much more conviction then he felt.

"I won't let my girl down, Ducky," and he was gone.

------

The elevator ride was silent. Not even Tony offered a quick jibe. As they neared their floor, Gibbs began to give everyone their instructions. "DiNozzo. Ziva. I want you to go and interview the neighbors, take a look around too. McGee, find any surveillance camera, traffic camera, whatever you can. Find anything that may show us who was in the area of her apartment around sunrise this morning."

"Got it, Boss," Tony confirmed.

The elevator stopped and everyone piled out. Tony and Ziva grabbed their gear and headed back to the elevator. McGee immediately began working on his computer. Gibbs sat down and pulled out a piece of paper and pen. He began writing down names of people he thought might have a personal vendetta against him.

He had been working on the list for about 30 minutes when he caught a glimpse of someone walking up the stairs to the Director's office. It was one of their regular couriers and he had an envelope in his hand. Gibbs abandoned his list and desk and followed the courier up the stairs.

------

McGee watched Gibbs go up to the Director's office. The courier came back down having delivered his package but Gibbs had disappeared behind the door.

He sat for a moment, his eyes were on the door but he wasn't really seeing it. He had multiple emotions running through him and he needed to sort them out. First and foremost, he was angry that someone had taken Abby. He had a feeling of dread over what might happen to her. He was frustrated that there wasn't a whole lot that he could do to help her either. At least not at the moment. There was something else that was nagging at him. He knew what it was, but didn't want to admit it. He was angry with Gibbs. If Gibbs hadn't pissed someone off so much, Abby wouldn't be in this situation to start with. He immediately felt guilty for blaming his boss. He was very good at his job and McGee knew it. He was bound to make people angry along the way. Gibbs might seem like a hardass but everyone knew he had a soft spot for Abby. He would be taking this the hardest, especially knowing that she was taken because of him.

Gibbs still hadn't come back and he was getting more angry by the minute. He turned back to his computer and refocused his energy into searching for Abby's abductor.

------

Gibbs stood just inside of the door as the Director accepted the package and the courier left. He watched as she pulled a single sheet from the envelope, her face expressionless. When she flipped the picture over to read the back, Gibbs moved forward to her desk. When Jenny was done, she handed the picture over to Gibbs.

He took it from her without saying anything. Anger flashed within him when he laid eyes on Abby. She was cowering against a wall, fear evident in her eyes. Her hands were bound behind her back and her knees and ankles were also bound. He could see a red line across her cheeks where the gag hanging loosely around her neck had been. Blood dripped from her nose and lip. The light for the picture came in from behind the photographer. It was strong and the perimeter of the photo was cast in deep shadows. All he could tell of the room was that it was most likely a basement based on the concrete floor and unpainted concrete block walls.

He finally flipped the picture over and read the back.

_Another game of hide and go seek. I'll hide, you seek. You have 24 hours._

"Damn it, Jenny!" Gibbs slammed his fist down on the desk. "If someone has a vendetta against me, why take her?"

"Jethro," Jenny started carefully. "You need to keep a level head on this one. Abby is an important part of your team and she's important to you." Her last statement implied more then the words should have and that fact didn't skate by Gibbs. "You have the training and so does your team. You need to keep them together and thinking clearly in order to bring her home…You know what happens when you make it personal."

"You don't have to remind me, I know."

Gibbs left the office and paused at the top of the stairs, once again looking at the photo. He knew that he had feelings for Abby that he felt he shouldn't have. She was half his age, but her chipper personality was intoxicating and what he needed in his life. He tried to keep his distance from her but he couldn't help the kisses on the cheek or top of her head. Standing close to her in the morning and breathing her in; watching her face light up when he brings her a Caf-Pow!; accepting her hugs when she gave them. Those are all things that he is going to have to settle for when it comes to how close he will ever get to Abby.

"Hey Boss!"

Gibbs was startled out of his reverie and looked at the cubicles below him. McGee was looking back up at him.

"I found something."

Gibbs ran down the stairs and stopped in front of the Plasma. McGee had put up a photo of a car stopped at a traffic light.

"This is the light right outside of Abby's apartment complex."

"This our guy?"

"No. Actually, I think this is," McGee pointed to a person leaning half way in the back seat of a car in the parking lot behind the car stopped at the light.

The picture wasn't good and you couldn't see the man's face or what he was doing in the back seat.

"Can you enlarge it?"

McGee was ready for him and the picture immediately zoomed in.

"You can't see the license plate," Gibbs observed.

"No, Boss, but I'm already running a list of registration on the make and model."

"Why him?

"You can't see it on this picture, but Abby's car is the one right next to it, just off the screen. This is the car that was in the reflection on Abby's in that photo."

"Time?"

"6:12 this morning."

"Good work, McGee."

McGee puffed a little with pride knowing that they may be one step closer to finding Abby.

Gibbs handed the newest photo to McGee. "I want you to go over this with a fine tooth comb," he said before letting the envelope go.

McGee hesitated for a moment before pulling the photo from the envelope. His breath caught in his throat when he saw his friend's scared expression. "Boss…"

"I know, Tim," Gibbs placed a hand on McGee's shoulder. "Let's find her."

McGee nodded and took the photo back to his desk.

Gibbs sat back down at his desk and stared at the list of names he had compiled. _Hide and seek,_ he mused, a_nother game._ He wracked his brain. _None of these names fit the scenario. What am I missing?_ He pulled up his case history on the computer and started going through them one-by-one.

It wasn't until he hit a case in 1997 that he paused. Nigel Moore. It was a cat and mouse game from the start. Gibbs remembered chasing him all over Europe just to have him walk out of court after his case was dismissed on circumstantial evidence. He could picture that day clearly in his head as if it happened yesterday.

------

_As Moore strutted down the courthouse stairs a free man, he turned to Gibbs with a sly smile. "Olly olly oxen free."_

------

He was reportedly killed during a drug war. The remains were never positively identified though.

"Damn it!" Gibbs slammed his fist down hard on his desk. "Never assume, McGee, _never_ assume," he called to his team mate as he raced up the stairs to the Director's office.

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Thank you! Thank you! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed before. I was concerned the characters weren't coming across acurately, but I guess they are (or at least close enough).

Many thanks to superamalgamated for pointing out my mistakes. I reveiwed the chapter and made what I hope are the right corrections. Tense never was a strong suit of mine. :)


	5. Chapter 5

Abby pulled her feet up to her hands that were tied behind her back. She twisted her wrists in their bindings as her long fingers sought a grasp on the knot that bound her feet together. Try as she might though, she could not maintain a grip and the harder she tried, the more the course rope cut her wrists open.

She eventually gave up and settled for scooting around the room and exploring her options. As she crept along the walls, she ran into nothing but the door. The room was completely barren. At the door, she wriggled her way up the wall to a standing position and tried the handle. It was locked as she knew it would be. It made her feel better having tried though.

She sank back down to the ground with nothing left to do but entertain herself with her own thoughts which weren't very happy thoughts at the moment.

From the doorway, she could see the tiny window near the ceiling where a small amount of light filtered in. It looked like daylight, _But it could be a parking lot light for all I know._

Sitting in the doorway, her stomach growled loudly. _Assuming I wasn't out for that long, maybe it's lunch time. If I was out for longer then I thought, then maybe its dinner time. Or breakfast time. Or any time in between!_ Frustration and panic were setting in while she sat idly by, waiting for something to happen.

"OK, Abbs," she said aloud to help keep her calm. "WWGD? Think about it! There's got to be something I can do to help my situation."

She looked up at the window again. It was about 8 feet off the ground. "I can't climb up there and it's probably too small anyway…but if I break it. I might be able to jump high enough to hit it and break it with my head. Then I might be able to cut these ropes off. Or I'll slice my head open and kill myself. OK, so that's a last resort. What else?

"I can jump this guy as he comes in the door. Maybe I can knock him out and make a break for it.

Yeah right! With what? My hands and feet are tied. Something else then…Maybe he'll come in to look for me and I can sneak out and lock the door behind me? But what if he doesn't leave the keys in the lock?"

She thought about it a moment longer, "I don't think I have much choice. That's probably my best bet so far.

"I can trip him first, that will give me some more time."

Abby curled her knees up to her chest and angled herself so she could trip the man as he entered the room and waited.

She soon became stiff from the awkward position but her determination won out. It wasn't much longer before she heard a noise outside her prison. She heard the deadbolt in the door turn and tensed herself; ready to spring into action the moment she felt it was right.

Light flooded the room just like last time but the man didn't enter. Abby waited.

"Show yourself," the man called from just beyond the doorway.

_Come on…_ Abby cried to herself. She held her breath in anticipation and for fear that he would know she was right there.

She heard a sound that made her think of a shopping cart and the light wavered like it was being moved. The next thing she saw was a wheeled tripod with lights mounted on top come through the doorway. Abby quickly changed tactics and rolled her weight up onto her feet. She lunged at the light and toppled it back into the hallway and onto the man.

The man fell backward and yelled as the hot bulbs touched and burned his skin.

Abby made a break for it and started hopping out of the room in large bounds. She was disheartened when she saw the stairs leading to freedom, looming before her. She didn't hesitate though and started hopping up the stairs one at a time.

She was more then half way up when she heard the man climbing the stairs behind her. She tried to move faster but the man reached out and grabbed one of her legs, pulling them out form under her.

"OMPHF," she grunted as she fell face first onto the stairs. Her vision exploded when her forehead hit the edge of a stair.

Abby kicked the best she could but the man wasn't letting go. He drug her down the stairs and dumped her on the floor of her prison.

"Is that what Gibbs is teaching you nowadays?" he asked sarcastically as he gave her a swift kick to the stomach.

Abby gasped as she curled up in pain and the air rushed from her lungs.

He grabbed her roughly and threw her against the wall. Her head ricocheted off the concrete wall with a sharp thwack.

As Abby struggled to stay conscious, she felt his body press up against hers.

"He's gonna have to do better then that," his foul breath was overpowering and made her want to retch.

Abby lost consciousness before she ever hit the ground. Not even the blinding white light could draw her from the darkness that she desperately sought.

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Once again, thank you for the wonderful reviews! It's promising that so many people like my story. I think I might be inclined to write another when this one is done. :)


	6. Chapter 6

"Nigel Moore," Gibbs burst into Jenny's office.

"Excuse me?" Jenny inquired, looking up from her paperwork.

"It's Nigel Moore. Case 30658."

Jenny thought for a moment before answering, "Wasn't he the one that walked due to lack of evidence?"

"Circumstantial."

"I thought he was killed during a drug war?"

"Presumed. The remains were never positively identified."

"I don't know, Jethro," Jenny let her skepticism show in her voice.

"Never assume, Jenny! It is Nigel Moore. Listen, I chased that man all over Europe. It was his idea of a game; of 'hide and seek'. Sound familiar? You know what he said on his way out of the courthouse?"

Jenny shook her head.

"Olly olly oxen free," he paused a moment. "It's happening all over again."

"Think about this, Jethro."

"He's got Abby, Jenny! I know it's Moore and I'm not going to let him get away this time." Gibbs' face was flushed with anger.

Jenny sat and watched him pace for a moment. "Okay. I'll look into it."

Gibbs gave her a curt nod and left the office.

------

"Boss," Tony said as Gibbs walked into the team's area.

"What do you have for me, McGee?" Gibbs said, cutting Tony off.

"Nothing, Boss. Either the shadows are too deep for me to see anything or the room is empty except for…"

Gibbs didn't acknowledge the end of McGee's sentence but turned to Tony and Ziva instead. He raised an eyebrow and they relayed their information.

They had interviewed what neighbors were home but no one had seen or heard anything.

"Abby's door was locked," Tony started.

"There was no evidence of tampering," Ziva interjected.

"We went in and looked around. Everything appeared normal," Tony finished.

Gibbs nodded and turned to encompass everyone, "We're looking for a Nigel Moore. Records will indicate death occurred on 21 June 2000. It didn't. He's still alive and he has Abby. He is excellent at deception.

"It took me two years to find him last time," he added quietly.

"And now we only have 18 hours left," Ziva added solemnly.

------

The hours ticked by with no progress. The vehicle registration database was of no value. Evening interviews also offered no new leads. The trail was very quickly becoming cold, to everyone's dismay. All trails of Nigel Moore ended with his death years earlier.

Around 1930 hours, Tony stood up and stretched. "I'm going for a coffee run. Any takers?"

Everyone nodded their concurrence.

"Take someone with you, DiNozzo. No one travels alone until we get this guy," Gibbs ordered.

"I'll go," McGee offered.

Twenty minutes later, Tony and McGee stepped out of the elevator carrying a tray of coffee and an unmarked manila envelope.

"Hey Boss! This was left at the security desk downstairs." Tony hollered across the room and waved the envelope in the air.

Gibbs hurried away from his desk and met them half way. He snatched the envelope from Tony and ripped it open. He slid the photo out. It took all of his will power to control himself when he looked upon the picture of Abby collapsed on the floor. There was a small puddle of blood under her head, a number of scratches on her face along with a raw gash spilling blood on her forehead and a large amount of bruising along her jaw.

He flipped it over to see if there was an inscription.

_A picture is worth a thousand words._

He handed the picture over to his team and went to his desk to call Ducky upstairs.

"Did you receive another one?" Ducky asked as he stepped out of the elevator. He had his answer when he rounded the corner and saw the hardened expressions on his colleagues' faces.

Tony handed the picture to Ducky who looked at it with professional detachment.

"May I see the previous one, Jethro?" Ducky asked.

Gibbs picked up the other photo from his desk and handed it to Ducky who was taping the current photo to the plasma. He then proceeded to tape the previous photo to the left of the current.

"Hand me the first one too. Might as well put it up with these."

When all three photos were lined up in order, the team crowded around and waited for Ducky to analyze them.

Ducky stood quietly for several moments while he looked at each photo individually and then compared them to each other.

"This first photo," Ducky pointed to Abby. "Abigail appears to be unharmed. Most likely, she was drugged. Though it would be impossible for me to see a needle prick from the photo, my guess is that it was an oral or inhalant. Inhalant is my first choice.

"Now, this second photo shows signs of a struggle. Mr. Moore struck Abby which caused her nose to bleed and split her lip. The light reflects off of the blood, so it's fresh. The confrontation happened just before the picture was taken. Also, look at her eyes. See how large her pupils are? They are far too large for the amount of light currently in the room."

"Then the room must be kept dark," Ziva jumped in.

"Precisely. It is most likely a basement. Though it could be a root or storm cellar also.

"Now, this final photo. There are the obvious fresh injuries. Head trauma, cuts, abrasions, etc., however, this bruising," he pointed to her left cheek and jaw. "This is conducive to where she was struck in the previous photo. Based on the amount and color of bruising, I'd say that this picture was taken approximately 3-4 hours after this last photo."

"That would have been around noon," McGee chimed in.

"So the question is, why wait? Why wait so long before sending this photo?" Tony asked.

"Did the guard downstairs say when it arrived?" Gibbs queried Tony and McGee.

"He said it was there when he came on duty at 1900. He figured we'd already been contacted about it." McGee answered.

"Tell him to contact us immediately if another one arrives," Gibbs instructed.

"Already done, Boss," Tony replied.

"Get me all of the building's and compound's security tapes. I want to find this bastard," Gibbs' mind was racing. Moore may have slipped up.

It didn't take long before McGee spoke up, "I've got him, Boss!" The plasma came to life and Gibbs pulled the photos from the screen. "This is the video of the lobby. This man," McGee pointed to someone walking into the lobby with a briefcase, "goes up to the security desk, removes a large envelope and hands it to the security guard, then leaves.

"Then the outside vid shows him getting into the same vehicle he used this morning. Only this time," the screen zoomed in on the license plate, "we got a plate number."

"Run it," Gibbs ordered.

"Already on it, Boss," Tony was on the telephone.

"Find me the traffic cameras."

"Working on it," McGee said behind the glow of his computer screen.

Fifteen minutes later, Tony came back with the results of the license plate check. Stolen.

It was some time before McGee was able to compile the traffic camera logs and sort through them. The team sat impatiently waiting, knowing that this was their only lead.

Finally, McGee spoke up, "I have it, Boss. I've traced him from here to Alexandria."

"Address," Gibbs barked, standing.

"The block of 21500 - 22300 Lexington St."

"Grab your gear. McGee, Duck, follow in the truck. DiNozzo, Ziva, you're with me."

Everyone rode the elevator to the garage and split to their respective vehicles from there.

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Once again, THANK YOU for the reviews, alerts and favorites. I'm really glad that so many of you like the story. Please keep them coming! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Gibbs flew through the city, making it to Alexandria in record time. They parked along the curb near the start of the block. McGee pulled the truck in right behind Gibbs' car.

The car doors closed silently and the team huddled on the sidewalk.

"There are three abandoned homes on this block," McGee started walking down the road. As he got close, he started pointing. "That one on the right," he pointed to a house across the street, "and two neighboring homes, three doors down on the left."

"Ziva, you take the one across the street. DiNozzo, you take the first on the left and I'll take the second," Gibbs started.

"Gibbs, we should stay in pairs," Ziva interjected.

"Since when was this a democracy? We're wasting time. McGee, you wait out here. You're back up for whoever you think needs it," he looked at McGee who nodded his understanding. "Work quick and stealthy. Comm check when you're done."

There were quick nods all around and Ziva, Tony and Gibbs broke off from the group and headed to their respective locations.

The houses were tall and slim as was common in these types of neighborhoods. They nearly sat upon each other with just a narrow alley separating them. Gibbs carefully crept around the perimeter of the home, careful not to let the moon cast a shadow over any windows. He concentrated on the basement windows, knowing that that was most likely where Abby was being held. Most of the windows were boarded up though. He couldn't risk being seen by getting a closer look.

"Perimeter clear," he whispered into his comm.

As he crept his way to the back door, he heard Ziva and Tony check in as well.

Standing beside the door, he reached out and checked the handle. It was locked. Crouching down, he pulled out his lock pick kit and gently popped the lock in the handle.

He slid his kit back into his pocket and braced against the wall again. He slowly pushed the door open, silently willing it to remain quiet.

Taking his first step inside, his eyes swept across the kitchen. Mentally noting details that he can analyzed later. There were two closed doors in this room. One, he guessed would be the basement door. He approached the first door, swept it open and was immediately faced with shelves. The pantry. He moved to the next door, giving a glance down the hall as he passed.

He paused to listen at the closed door. Hearing nothing, he pulled the door open and saw the stairs leading down to the basement. There was a light on, but he couldn't see anyone. Turning back to the hall, he silently finished clearing the floor. He couldn't afford getting ambushed in the basement because he didn't clear the rest of the house.

"First floor clear," Gibbs whispered to McGee.

He took the stairs leading to the second story two at a time. Skirting along the wall so as to avoid squeaking any stairs. Reaching the top, he opened the first door to his right. It was the master bedroom and was empty. He quickly scanned each of the other rooms. All were empty.

"Second floor clear, headed to the basement," Gibbs gave his latest check.

He slowly walked back down the stairs, headed for the basement. He heard Tony and Ziva clear their upper floors as well. Everyone was headed to their respective basement at the same time. Gibbs only hoped that Moore was in his so that he could kill the bastard himself.

He crept down the basement stairs, crouching low to get a better view of what lay below the ceiling. He saw a hallway with an open door on the right. A large floodlight stood outside the door, shining in.

He pressed himself against the wall, trying not to blind himself with the light. Listening carefully, he could hear someone talking in the room.

"My dear, I guess your Special Agent Gibbs isn't as good as you thought he was. Your time here is nearly at an end and your knight in shining armor hasn't come to rescue you," Gibbs recognized Moore's voice immediately.

"Gibbs will be here. He'd never let a creep like you get away with this!" Abby retorted. Gibb's heart flew knowing that Abby was still alive and kicking. It also swelled a little at the display of confidence she showed in him when she thought that she was now facing her doom.

"I can see your hope dwindling. You know what they say about that, don't you?" he asked the rhetorical question. "In the absence of light, darkness prevails," he answered for her.

Gibbs could hear the smirk on Moore's face and didn't delay any longer. He turned the corner into the room and aimed his gun at chest height.

"Then let there be light," Gibbs retorted taking in the scene. Moore had Abby pressed against the far wall. One hand grasped her breast and the other held a knife.

"Gibbs!" Abby said rejoicefully before she was cut off by Moore swinging her around so she was now his body shield.

"Shoot me if you have to Gibbs," Abby told him seriously.

"This isn't a movie, Abbs."

"So, look who finally decided to show up," Moore taunted Gibbs. "Cutting it a little close, don't you think? Or were you going for the dramatic effect?"

"I decided to show up some time ago. I just couldn't get away until now." Gibbs could hear McGee in his ear. He was calling Ziva and Tony for backup. They would be behind him any moment. "What do you want, Moore?"

"Why you, of course."

"Here I am. Now let her go."

"Oh Jethro, you know me better then that," Moore sounded disappointed. "You know that I could never let a pretty little kitten like this get away from me." Holding the knife tight to Abby's neck, he ran his free hand up and down Abby's hip and thigh. "At least not until I'm done with her."

"Touch her again like that..." Gibbs left the threat open.

Moore chuckled. "Jethro, you never change. Wait, what is that I see? A spark of jealousy, no? Well, who would've guessed. Given up on the red heads?"

Abby felt Moore relax slightly and took advantage of the moment. Though her body was aching from being tied up and her head felt about to explode, she leaned forward and jolted backward again, allowing her head to bash into Moore's. She swooned with pain but heard Moore grunt in her ear as his head struck the wall behind him. Abby started to fall and Moore crumpled with her.

Gibbs didn't hesitate. He rushed forward and grabbed the front of Abby's shirt. Maintaining his aim on Moore, he pulled Abby into the shadows on one side of the room.

Moore stood back up, knife in hand. "Come on, Jethro. Let's finish this like real men," indicating that they should fight hand-to-hand.

Gibbs debated for a quick moment. He could hear small groans from Abby on the floor but he desperately wanted the chance to pummel this guy.

Gibbs lowered his gun. "You don't deserve this," he said before whipping the gun back up and firing a single shot. He heard Abby yelp behind him, startled by the unexpected action. "You deserved to suffer," Gibbs finished before Moore's body fell to the floor, blood dripping from a single hole in his forehead.

Feet pounded down the stairs as Gibbs stepped back into the shadows to find Abby.

"Abbs?" Gibbs whispered, concern evident in his voice.

"Here," Abby replied groggily after a brief hesitation.

"Federal Agents!" Ziva's voice came from the doorway.

"All clear," Gibbs told them to stand down. "Someone find a damn light. And call for an ambulance." Gibbs turned back to Abby, his eyes adjusting to the dark.

"Gibbs…"

"Shh," Gibbs whispered to her as he cut all of her bindings. "You're safe now, I promise."

As he cut the bindings on Abby's wrists, she hissed with pain as her shoulders settled back into their proper position.

"I'm sorry, Abbs," Gibbs said, gently rubbing the stiffness from her shoulders. "I'm sorry for a lot of things."

"You don't…"

"Conserve your energy. We'll talk later," Gibbs silenced her with a finger on her lips, glad that she couldn't see his face to read it right now.

"Jethro, where the blazes… Oh, there you are," Ducky's flashlight fell on both Gibbs and Abby who flinched from the sudden light.

"Bring that light in here, Mr. McGee," Ducky called over his shoulder.

The flood light was rolled into the room and McGee angled it so that it wasn't pointing straight at them but still cast plenty of light over them.

"DiNozzo's waiting for the ambulance, Boss," McGee said.

Gibbs nodded his acknowledgement.

"My dear Abigail," Ducky said softly, placing a gentle hand on Abby's shoulder.

"I'm OK, Ducky, really," Abby joked with a knowing smile.

Ducky tsked at her with a wink while he checked her vitals and started cleaning her wounds. Gibbs placed his coat under Abby's head and she snuggled into it, breathing in the smell of Gibbs' aftershave.

"Jethro? Would you please go and check on the ambulance?"

"I'm not going anywhere, Duck," Gibbs added a mild threat to his voice.

"Please Jethro. It shouldn't take them this long," Ducky gave a pointed look at Abby lying back with her eyes closed.

Gibbs got the hint that Ducky wanted a minute alone. He walked from the room, taking Ziva and McGee with him for a few minutes.

Before he knew it, he heard people trampling through the house and Tony was leading the EMT's down the stairs. Gibbs pointed to where they needed to go, blocking and therefore, preserving the crime scene.

Twenty minutes later, Abby was loaded on the stretcher with an oxygen mask covering her nose and mouth and the EMT's were rolling her out of the basement.

"Gibbs?" Ziva asked as they all watched Abby leaving.

"Yeah."

"Why don't you go with her?"

Gibbs looked over his shoulder at the crime scene behind him. "We have a crime scene to document."

Ziva looked at him skeptically. "She has just lived a nightmare. I think she will want you there."

"Go ahead, Boss. We'll finish up here," Tony added as he tagged another bag.

"This will take forever, DiNozzo."

"There's another team on the way to help. Director Sheppard is sending them."

He gave everyone a hard look and glanced at where Abby had disappeared up the stairs. "I want a full report," he said, walking out. "And don't mess up, DiNozzo!" he hollered back from the top of the stairs.

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We are getting close. Only one chapter to go. I hope everyone is enjoying it so far and I hope that this chapter didn't disappoint. :) Please let me know what you think by submitting a review.


	8. Chapter 8

Abby lay in a hospital room bed with an oxygen tube. A large bandage was wrapped around her head, protecting the stitches. Her eyes were closed and the machines that were attached to her beeped steadily, indicating she was sleeping.

Gibbs sat in a chair nearby with a coffee in hand. He glanced at his watch. Nearly 1400 hours. He has been up for well over 24 hours and was exhausted but he refused to close his eyes.

The heart monitor started to beep a little faster and Abby opened her eyes.

Gibbs slid his chair closer to her bed, sat his coffee down on the bedside table and wrapped her hand in his. "Hey," he greeted her with a lopsided grin.

"Hey," her voice was scratchy from sleep.

"How you feeling?"

"Drugged," she gave a goofy grin. "It's kinda cool, really."

Gibbs chuckled briefly at her humor before his face fell into an expression of grief.

"Gibbs? What's wrong?" Abby tried to sit up a little straighter as she looked intently at the man she cared so much about.

Gibbs just shook his head a little, "Abbs, I am so, so sorry."

"You didn't do…"

"I did and there is no excuse. It was because of me that Moore abducted you; because of me that you were almost killed after I promised to protect you."

"Gibbs, I wasn't done. It is NOT your fault that you do your job so well that you sometimes piss the bad guys off. It is NOT you fault that this Moore guy snagged me. You didn't even know he was alive… Ducky told me," she answered his questioning expression. "I know that there are risks involved with my job. I also know that there will always be risks involved if I ever want to be with you. Those are risks that I'm willing to take. Want to take! They are totally worth it…"

"Abbs."

"…to me. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else or with anyone else…"

"Abby," Gibbs said more firmly.

"Yeah Gibbs? Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to ramble. I didn't mean to say…Did I really say all that out loud?" Abby's cheeks became flushed as she realized that she just put all of her feelings out in the open.

"Uh huh," Gibb raised his eyebrows at her.

"Oh Gibbs…" Abby sounded distraught. "I'm sorry, I never meant…"

"I think you did," he said with a bemused smile.

"What?"

"I think you meant every word you said," Gibbs leaned over and placed a light kiss on her lips. "And I'm glad you said it."

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And...I leave the rest to you. :) I hope everyone enjoyed the story. I'm already brainstorming for my next. Any ideas?


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